Counter mechanism



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COUNTER MECHANISM Filed May 19, 1939 ZSheets-Sheet 1 Invnior M1 L IA M L (HA MP/ON,

By 4. M 9m A tiorneys Feb. 25, 1941. w. L. CHAMPION 2,233,306

COUNTER MECHANISM Filed May 19, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor WILLIAM L. CHA P/0N,

A iiomeys Patented Feb. 25, 1941 2,233,303 I COUNTER MECHANISM William L. Champion, Mocksville, N. 0., assignor of one-third to John R. Land, Salisbury, N. 0.

Application May 19, ms, Serial No. 214,051

This. invention relates to counter mechanism. mainly designed for counting bobbins of looms, as the bobbins are automatically transferred from the magazine to the shuttle, the general object of the invention being to provide two sets of counter mechanisms with manually operative means for connecting one set to the operating means and disconnecting the other set from the operating means so that one set could be used for counting the bobbins while one operator is attending the loom and then the other set is drawn into operation for counting the bobbins when another operator is attending the loom.

With these and other objects in view, the invention' consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Fora complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly in section, and partly broken away, showing the counter mechanism.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view showin the means of adjusting the counter mechanism for dayand night work. c

Figure 3.is a transverse sectional view illustrating apawl and ratchet mechanism used in the drive of the counter mechanism.-

Figure 4' is a plan view illustrating a brake element, ordisc.

In these drawings the countercasing is shown at 23, and said casing is provided with a face plate 23 in whichrcws of sight openings 33 and 3| are formed, the purpose of which is to display the numerals of counting dials or discs 32 and 33 and whichare of a conventional and well known construction. Operating with a pivotal movement over the face plate 23 is a pointer 34 adapted to be positioned to point to either-row of the sight openings. One rowof the sight openings has located adjacent thereto the word ,night and the other row the word d'ay. Consequently it will be seen through this arrangement a count of day work and night work can be keptseparately. The pointer is secured to aknob 42 on an operating shaft 35 iournaled in the face plate 55 shaft with the hub of the disc but which will leof the casing and extending through a frame 33' arranged in the casingand entering a socket 31 of nism which it is desired to use.

cure the shaft to the disc for the rotation thereof in opposite directions.

A collar 40 is secured on the shaft 35 and bearing 'thereagainst is a coil spring 4| tending to move the shaft 35 inwardly of the casing to bring 5 the knob 42 in a position so that a pin 43 thereof will enter either of the notches 44 provided in the face plate. As will be seen, the pointer 34 is carried by the knob 42 and by providing a pair of the notches 44 the knob 43 and the pointer 10 can be pulled outwardly against the action of the spring 41 and then the parts are turned to cause the pointer to point toward that counter mecha- Then the knob is released to permit the spring 4| to move the 15 parts inwardly and this will place the pin 43 in the second notch 44 so that the parts are held in this position with the pointer pointed toward the counter mechanism which is to be used.

Swivelly connected and eccentrically mounted 20 on the disc 39 are shifting forks 45 engageable with collars 46 of slidable shafts 41 iournaled in partitions 48 and 43 of the casing. The partitions 49 and 48 also rotatably support a main shaft 50 having secured thereto a main gear 51. The slidable shafts have secured thereto gears 52 adapted to be brought into alternate mesh with the main gear 5| by the rotationof the disc 39 in opposite directions. Clutch elements 34 are provided between the shafts 41 and the shafts of the counting wheels 32. when the gear 52 of one of the shafts 41 is in mesh with themain gear 51 the clutch of said flatter-named shaft 41 connects one of the counter mechanism shafts therewith while the other shaft 41 is so positioned as to disengage the gear 53 thereof from the main gear 5i and bring about the separation of the clutchelements 54, consequently interrupting the drive between the latter-named shaft 41 and the shaft of the other group of counting wheels. The arrangement described relative to' the connecting and disconnecting of the shafts 41 with the shaft 50 and with the-shafts of the counting wheels permits the counters to be arranged for day or night use.

The casing besides having the partitions 43 and 43 is also provided with a partition 53. The partitions of the casing coact in dividing said casing into a plurality of compartments, as clear- 1y shown in Figure 5, the counting wheels being located in one compartment behind the rows of openings 30 and 3| while the gears are located in another compartment and; the forks of the shifting disc 33 in another" compartment while the shaft Ill extends into another compartment 55 lever and surrounding the Bowden wire is a coil spring ill. The coil spring ill is secured to the end of the flexible housing or tube 26 of the Bowden wire which is mounted in a sleeve 6i carried by one wall of the casing. The purpose of the.

spring fill is to return the Bowden wire to its initial position and also to restore the ratchet lever to its initial position after receiving movement by a suitable member, not shown, actuated by the transfer mechanism of the loom.

Rotatably mounted on the shaft within the latter-named compartment of the casing and associated with the ratchet gear 51 is a brake disc 62 provided on one face thereof with cork studs 83 for contact with the ratchet gear. A coil spring 84 is connected to the brake disc and to a collar 05 carried bya set screw 66 threaded in one wall of the casing. By adjusting the screw 66 the braking action of the disc on the ratchet gear can be increased or decreased. Through the arrangement 01 the brake, disc an'overrun of the ratchet gear can be prevented when actuated by the Bowden wire and by preventing an overrun of the ratchet gear obviates any possibility of the counting wheels from being moved or rotated further than they should be on each stroke of the ratchet lever.

Suitable means are provided whereby the transfer of the bobbins from the magazine of the loom to the shuttle of the loom imparts a step by step movement to the shaft 50 through the Bowden wire and the ratchet lever, ratchet dog and ratchet gear 51. Thus it will be seen that the shaft 50 is operated in a step by step movement which brings about a proper operation of the wheels of the counting mechanism depending on which group is arranged or geared to the main shaft. As soon as the transfer means ceases 'operation the Bowden wire is restored to its initial position along with the restoring of the ratchet lever 58 by means of spring 60.

A device of the character described and shown in the drawings is of extremely simple and c0mpact construction which will be durable and economical to manufacture and maintain in operation. The device constructed in accordance with the foregoing will. accurately record the bobbins as they are transferred from the magazine to the shuttle thus permitting an accurate account of this operation to be kept at all times.

It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings, will fully set forth the construction and advantages of this invention to those skilled in the art to which a device relates, so that further detailed description will not be required.

Having thus'described the invention, what I claim is:

Means for connecting a drive shaft to either one of a pair of countershafts comprising a gear on the drive shaft, a pair of sliding shafts, a gear on each sliding shaft, clutch means for connecting each sliding shaft with a countershaft, said clutch means being in active position when the gear of a sliding shaft is in mesh with the gear of the drive shaft and the clutch means being inactive when the sliding shaft is in position with its gear out of mesh with the gear of the drive shaft, and manually operated means for simultaneously moving one oi the sliding shafts into position where its gear will mesh with the gear of the drive shaft and the other sliding shaft to a position where its gear is out of mesh with the gear of the drive shaft, said means including a disc supported for rotary movement, shifting means connecting the disc with the sliding shafts and manually operated means for moving the 3 disc, said manually operated means including a shaft supported for rotary and sliding movement, means for slidably but non-rotatably connecting the shaft with the disc, a handle member connected with the shaft for moving the same longitudinally and for rocking the shaft, spring means for normally holding the shaft in a certain position and latch means for holding the handle member in either one of two positions, the spring means holding the latch means in operative position.

WILLIAM L. CHAMIPION. 

